Horsham man admits to DUI, his 10th, after Upper Moreland crash

COURTHOUSE — A Horsham man who authorities revealed had nine drunken driving convictions in his past is headed to jail after he admitted to his 10th, this time during an Upper Moreland crash that injured another driver.

Robert Douglas Stumpp Jr., 58, of the 300 block of Cottage Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to three to six months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, highest rate, and reckless driving in connection with an October 2012 crash along Blair Mill Road in Upper Moreland. Judge Cheryl L. Austin ordered Stumpp to report to the county jail to begin serving the sentence on July 30.

The judge said Stumpp is prohibited from driving.

According to testimony and Assistant District Attorney Doug Lavenberg and Assistant Public Defender Edward Rideout, the latest DUI conviction was Stumpp’s tenth since the 1970s.

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“This is a guy that needs to be off the road. He’s a danger to society,” said Assistant District Attorney Doug Lavenberg, who sought jail time against Stumpp. “This is an example of how horribly wrong a DUI can be.”

The three- to six-month jail term was the maximum sentence prosecutors could seek against Stumpp, under the circumstances surrounding the case, even though Stumpp has multiple DUI convictions in his past, according to prosecutors.

Under state law, those who are convicted of DUI face escalating penalties if that conviction occurs within 10 years of a previous DUI conviction. However, another DUI conviction that occurs after the 10-year period expires is considered a first-time offense for sentencing purposes, according to state law.

Stumpp’s last DUI conviction was in 1996, 18 years ago, according to authorities. Therefore, Stumpp’s most recent DUI conviction was considered a first offense, under the law.

“So it was a first offense and our office worked with him to get him in treatment to address his alcohol issues,” Rideout said. “He’s taking the matter very seriously and he’s been in outpatient treatment since January of this year. He’s very remorseful for the accident and the hurt and pain he’s caused the complaining witness. But he’s taken steps, with our help, to address his alcoholism. It’s our office’s agenda to help people address their underlying problems in the hope that they don’t come back.”

The judge also ordered Stumpp to pay $19,930 in restitution to cover medical costs incurred by the Horsham woman who was injured in the two-vehicle crash.

Originally, police also charged Stumpp with a more serious offense of accidents involving personal injury while not properly licensed, which could have carried more jail time. However, prosecutors could not move forward with that charge after learning that Stumpp was driving with a provisional, or occupational, license, which had been issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, at the time of the 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28, 2012, head-on collision in the 4000 block of Blair Mill Road.

The victim told police she was traveling northbound on Blair Mill Road in a Toyota Sienna when she observed a Chevrolet Camaro vehicle traveling south in the northbound lane and was unable to avoid the collision.

“He basically swerved directly into oncoming traffic. He slammed into the victim. There was nothing that could get her out of the path,” Lavenberg said.

The victim, who appeared in court in a wheelchair, recalled feeling like her feet were on fire after the crash. She suffered a severe foot injury and still suffers pain and faces medical treatment, according to prosecutors.

Responding Upper Moreland police said Stumpp, who also was injured, had bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcohol on his breath. Tests later determined Stumpp’s blood alcohol content was 0.29 percent, which is more than three times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Stumpp, according to the criminal complaint filed by Upper Moreland Police Officer Matt Snyder, “was impaired to a degree that rendered him unfit to operate a motor vehicle safely.”